Ep.13 / Arthur Soroken, Co-Founder Google AI Futures Fund

Optimistically Investing in AI Futures

Arthur Soroken, Co-founder of the AI Futures Fund @ Google - which was created to invest in and collaborate with start-ups by giving early access to Google DeepMind’s latest AI models as well as resources, technical expertise, and equity funding to accelerate their progress. Prior to Google, Arthur spent time as a developer and systems engineer at Cisco and Sun Microsystems, but then did an MBA at Cornell and started his own business venture, Songza which sold to Google.

This conversation included:

• How the AI Futures Fund is different from other Google units like Google Ventures, Capital G, and Gradient Ventures

• Being a "growth and culture hacker" driven to improve innovation, speed to market, etc across Google

• Taking a "hands-on" approach that co-develops with entrepreneurs

• A vision for AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement and as force for democratization

• Advice for getting into AI includes playing with the tools and "Start something, build something, launch something"

Arthur is professionally jealous of his mom, who owns a barbershop and has done so his entire life. He describes the barbershop as her therapy, her life, and her passion, despite it being hard work. He notes that she comes home every day very happy and has expressed that she will "die in that barbershop".

Check out https://labs.google/aifuturesfund

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